In double-blind, placebo-controlled scientific study, they looked at 273 patients who were admitted to the hospital for a heart attack. The study published in one of the most prestigious medical journals revealed that after 4 weeks, the people who received the magnesium, only 7% died versus 19% who did not get the magnesium. That means magnesium cut the death rate a walloping 63%.
What was interesting is the fact that the study indicated that the people in the study were give far less than the 2 cc of magnesium recommended above.
Furthermore, the injection of magnesium decreased arrhythmias by 55%. Remember having a heart arrhythmia is one issue doctors are seriously concerned about following a heart attack.
In another study in the same medical journal approximately ten years later revealed that magnesium produced a 24% reduction in the number of deaths in one month after the heart attack.
Besides the proven benefits for victims of a heart attack, another study showed people who were given IV magnesium had a 76% reduction in death from a fatal blood clot. And by the way this same study showed that aspirin made no difference.
It is in your best interest to insist that your doctor check your magnesium levels. However, don't settle for the serum magnesium commonly ordered by most physicians. This test only evaluates the extracelluar magnesium which makes up only 1% of the magnesium in your body. You want your doctor to order the goal standard "intracellular magnesium test" which gives you the "real" picture of your level of magnesium in your body.
References
Rasmussen HS, et al, Intravenous magnesium in acute myocardial infarction, Lancet, 234-5, Feb. 1, 1986
Woods KL, et al, Intravenous magnesium sulfate in suspected acute myocardial infarction: Results of the Second Leister Intravenous Magnesium Intervention Trial (LIMIT-2), Lancet, 339: 1553-8,1992
Both my Father and I had always had irregular heartbeats. Sometime it would flutter and I would feel faint. My Father got a pacemaker. I began taking magnesium whenever I had an irregular heartbeat and the instances of this happening would decrease. I then began taking magnesium regularly and have no irregular heartbeat episodes unless I forget to take it. Magnesium really does stop arrhythmia, in my case.